At Pirbright Village Primary School, we are committed to preparing our pupils for life in modern Britain and a diverse, global community. We embed values that help our children become respectful, responsible, and active members of society. These include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

While these values are commonly referred to as ‘British Values’, we recognise that they are universal and shared by communities around the world. Our role is to promote them through everything we do—both in and out of the classroom—while also challenging any attitudes or behaviours that go against these principles, such as intolerance, discrimination or extremism.

These values are not new to Pirbright—they’ve long been a key part of our ethos, our curriculum, and our community. Below are some of the ways we bring them to life in our school every day:

Democracy

We want every child to know that their voice matters. We help pupils understand the democratic process and how they can play a part in shaping the school and wider world around them. We do this through:

• Elections for house captains and school council representatives

• Class discussions and votes on topics such as rewards, learning activities and school improvements

• Pupil voice forums and suggestion boxes that influence real decisions

• Circle times and PSHE lessons that promote active listening, debate and discussion

• 5-Minutes Wonders which develops skills in reasoned argument and listening to others’ points of view

Democracy is more than voting—it’s about inclusion, fairness, and shared responsibility. Our pupils practise this every day.

The Rule of Law

Understanding the importance of rules—why we have them, how they keep us safe, and what happens when they’re broken—is a key part of our school culture. We help children understand and respect rules by:

• Applying clear, fair behaviour expectations across the school

• Using restorative approaches to help children reflect on their actions and make things right

• Inviting visits from the police, fire service and other community leaders

• Teaching about rules in different settings—such as road safety, digital safety, PE, and RE

• Linking school rules to wider laws and helping pupils see the connection between their actions and consequences

We teach that laws protect freedoms and help us all to live together with fairness and safety.

Individual Liberty

At Pirbright, children are encouraged to explore their interests, make choices, and express themselves in a safe, respectful environment. We help our pupils develop confidence in their own voice and understand the impact of their actions by:

• Offering choice in learning activities, projects and clubs

• Creating safe spaces to share opinions, ideas and personal stories

• Supporting positive decision-making through our PSHE curriculum and e-safety lessons

• Encouraging children to set personal goals and celebrate progress

• Promoting healthy lifestyles through food choices, physical activity and wellbeing initiatives

Our assemblies, classroom culture and pupil recognition systems all support self-belief, resilience and respect for others’ rights.

Mutual Respect

Respect is at the heart of our school. It underpins how we treat each other, how we learn together, and how we behave in the wider community. We teach and model respect by:

• Encouraging active listening, good manners and kindness in all interactions

• Celebrating achievements and contributions—both big and small—through praise, peer feedback and reward systems

• Teaching empathy and emotional literacy through our PEDALS programme and restorative conversations

• Exploring teamwork and fair play in sports and collaborative learning

• Promoting digital responsibility and respectful behaviour online

We believe everyone has the right to be treated with dignity, and we support children in developing respectful relationships throughout their school journey.

Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We are proud to be a welcoming and inclusive school where differences are celebrated and everyone feels they belong. We prepare our children to thrive in a diverse world by:

• Teaching world religions and different belief systems in RE and across the curriculum

• Exploring global cultures through Geography, English, Art and Music

• Celebrating diversity through assemblies, themed weeks (including Cultural Week), and school-wide projects

• Providing opportunities for children to share their cultural heritage, languages and family traditions

We help our children understand that tolerance doesn’t just mean accepting differences—it means embracing them with curiosity and respect.

Living Our Values Every Day

At Pirbright Village Primary School, these values aren’t just taught—they are lived. From the way we greet each other in the morning to the way we solve problems together, British values are part of who we are and how we grow. We believe that by nurturing respectful, open-minded and confident young people, we are helping shape a more inclusive and compassionate future.